DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Détournement


In guy Debord’s Detournement as Negotiation and Prelude, he defines detournement as the “reuse of preexisting elements in a new ensemble” (55), which can be translated into mimicry and recuperation. Rather than constructing a new work which eludes a new meaning from the original work.  Another way to explain detournement is a way in which to show the disagreement and divergence with some concepts in society and politics with the goal of bringing up a new message to the audience.

During the late 1970’s and 1980’s there was an influential tactic called the “situationist prank” and “culture jamming” which was used in mass media by the Situationist International (SI) to set up political pranks, hoaxes and stunts. Debord explains that there are fundamental laws to detournement, (1) the loss of importance of each detourned autonomous element and (2) the organization of another meaningful ensemble that confers on each element, its new scope and effect. With detournement a movement can be formed, change can be created. Through this form of expression by using art and media to transform an audience’s idea from the original works message, to a whole new perspective in its current state or time. As Debord explained, “it (detournement) arises and grows increasingly stronger in the historical period of the decomposition of artistic expression” (55).

There are two types of detournement: minor and deceptive. Minor detournement being the elements have no real importance on their own and in fact gain their meaning by being placed in a new context. However, deceptive detournement have major essentials in the context for example, the famous Mona Lisa painting, and obtain the new sense by being placed in the new context. The goal of detournement is to grab the audience’s attention, show them the appalling side of society and alarm their audience through any form of media.

Author: Monique Medina, fall 2011
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.